David Octavius Hill
David Octavius Hill
British, 1802–1870
Robert Adamson
British, 1821–1848
1840
A mid-19th-century photogravure portrait made to capture the sitter’s presence and character with the soft, painterly qualities early photographers sought.
At first glance it reads as a quiet, contemplative profile—velvety tonal transitions, a strong nose and jawline set against a shadowed background, and a draped cloak that guides the eye across the composition.
It exemplifies how early photographic practice and reproductive techniques like photogravure bridged painting and photography, asserting photography’s ability to convey mood and likeness while making portraits more widely reproducible.
Medium
Photogravure
Dimensions
7 15/16 × 5 13/16" (19.8 × 14.8 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Gift of Warner Communications, Inc.
Accession
1143.1979
Palette
Exhibitions
